{{Nihongo, Imada Puppet Troupe, 今田人形座, Imada Ningyōza is a traditional
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
puppet troupe in the style that is commonly known as Ningyō Jōruri (人形浄瑠璃) or
Bunraku
(also known as ) is a form of traditional Japanese puppet theatre, founded in Osaka in the beginning of the 17th century, which is still performed in the modern day. Three kinds of performers take part in a performance: the or ( puppeteers ...
Nagano Nagano may refer to:
Places
* Nagano Prefecture, a prefecture in Japan
** Nagano (city), the capital city of the same prefecture
*** Nagano 1998, the 1998 Winter Olympics
*** Nagano Olympic Stadium, a baseball stadium in Nagano
*** Nagano Universi ...
.
History
The Troupe traces its origins to 1704, when a group of villagers purchased puppets to use in
Shinto
Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintois ...
religious rites during the local shrine festival. In the 1820s and 1830s features of popular puppet entertainment were added to the group's performances, and by 1846 local puppeteers had begun traveling to nearby villages to perform. In the late nineteenth century the Troupe became established under its current name, enjoying considerable regional recognition and popularity.
Today the Troupe, headed by puppeteer Tamon Sawayanagi, performs regularly on tour and in its own theater, the Imada Puppetry Hall, which was completed in 1993 on the grounds of the Omiya Hachimangu Shrine in Iida. The Troupe traveled abroad in 1993 to perform in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and again in 2003 for performances in
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
. In 2007 members of the Troupe traveled to the United States to participate in workshops, demonstrations, and offer performances at the
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...
and the
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri (Mizzou, MU, or Missouri) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Universit ...
jointly with
Bunraku Bay Puppet Troupe {{Short description, American puppet troupe
Bunraku Bay Puppet Troupe (known since 2011 as "Bunraku Bay Puppet Theater") is an American puppet troupe that performs the traditional Japanese puppet drama commonly known as ''ningyō jōruri '' or Bun ...
. The Imada Puppet Troupe traveled to Taiwan to perform in late August 2009, and to the United States to perform in Oregon, Colorado, Missouri, and New Jersey in October 2009.
The Imada Puppet Troupe performs a range of pieces from the repertoire common to the traditional puppet theater such as ''Hidakagawa Iriaizakura'', ''Yaoya Oshichi'', ''Kotobuki Shiki Sanbaso'', ''Tsubosaka Kannon Reigenki'', ''Tokaidochu Hizakurige'', and many others. The Imada Troupe has also created new pieces for the traditional theater, including ''Kotaro Monogatari'', which premiered in 1983 and was revived for the 30th Iida Puppetry Festival in 2008. Although written new for the Imada Troupe, ''Kotaro Monogatari'' is based on legendary material from the Ina Valley, in which the Imada Troupe is located.
The Imada Puppet Troupe is actively nurturing the next generation of traditional puppeteers by providing puppetry training and performance opportunities for young adults and for students at local schools. Members of the Imada Puppet Troupe also train students at Ryukyo Middle School, where a large wooden stage has been constructed specifically for the use of the school's traditional puppetry club. The Troupe also has hosted summer puppetry training programs many times for American students at the Imada Puppetry Hall in conjunction with the
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri (Mizzou, MU, or Missouri) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Universit ...
and the American-based Japanese traditional puppet theater group,
Bunraku Bay Puppet Troupe {{Short description, American puppet troupe
Bunraku Bay Puppet Troupe (known since 2011 as "Bunraku Bay Puppet Theater") is an American puppet troupe that performs the traditional Japanese puppet drama commonly known as ''ningyō jōruri '' or Bun ...
.
See also
*
Bunraku
(also known as ) is a form of traditional Japanese puppet theatre, founded in Osaka in the beginning of the 17th century, which is still performed in the modern day. Three kinds of performers take part in a performance: the or ( puppeteers ...